Beauty And The King
by Lightning Before Thunder
Summary: Amaira had only wanted to take her fathers place in prison. She had wanted to spare him the heartache he would've suffered as he was dying in a cell, as his immortality was lost. She had wanted to take his place,serve her time and be gone. But he complicated everything.When she needed it least, she found herself falling for him. She knew she was doomed the moment his eyes met hers.
1. Chapter 1

Some say he has no heart and others say it is so hardened and cold, it might as well not even exist. It is well known that he was suffering the death of his wife, still after all of these years, and it is well known that he had shut himself off from love. He had closed his heart off, sealed it under walls of stone and chain. He had made himself so invulnerable to love so he would never be hurt like that again.

He may have been heartless when it came to love, but he was a good and fair King. He treated his people with respect and dignity. He treated them how any great king would treat them; as if they were his own family. He made sure they were safe and protected.

But like any great King, he knew outsiders weren't to be trusted. Like any great King, he was weary of any outsiders who entered his gates. He treated them with as much respect as he could offer any outsiders until they gave him reason not to.

He was a great King, a noble King, but he also had a heart that was closed off and heavily guarded. He was a King who knew recently only how to grieve and not to love.

Thranduil, Elven King, was in need of someone who could break through the hardened, heavily guarded cage surrounding his heart, and teach him how to love again.

He needed a Beauty among the beasts.


	2. Chapter 2

Thranduil sat upon his throne, his arms resting against the sides, his one leg crossed over the other. He leaned back in his throne and causally looked forward, his eyes on his guards. They were bringing someone towards him, someone who looked like an elf.

"Ind o hi?" The guards threw the elf to the ground and then stood behind him, their arms at their sides.

"He was found in the treasury, pockets full of gold." Thranduil stood from his throne and descended down the steps until he was in front of this elf. Only then did he notice that while he looked like an elf, he had no immortality.

"You dare steal from me?" The elf looked up at him, his eyes tired and his skin showing signs of being weathered.

"Please my King it was only enough to survive." Thranduil looked the elf over again. He was not from this area, he was sure. Possibly from Rivendell.

The elf in question had long brown hair and green eyes. His hair was lacklustre and his eyes were not as bright as they probably once were. He was tall for an elf and was well built. But he was aging.

"Why are you not immortal?" He waited for and answer and received none.

"Treneri- hon!" Still, no answer. Thranduil took a step back and crossed his arms over his chest.

"You give me no other choice. Take him away and lock him up. If he truly is mortal he can stay here until he dies. We will not have to wait long. A mere blink for us and he will be gone." Thranduil walked back up to his throne and sat upon it, his eyes again lingering on the mortal elf.

"Hon awaui." Thranduil watched him get taken away from the throne room and down towards the cells. He spared only a moments thought for the mortal elf, and then turned his attention towards his next task.

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Amaira paced her kitchen floor her hands wringing in front of her. Her heart was pounding as each minute went by that her father was not home.

"Relax Amaira. I'm sure your father got held up because of bad weather. He should be home soon." The human that his father was in love with, the one he gave his immortality up for, was sitting on a kitchen chair, her hands on her belly.

"You are with child. You need to relax more than I do. And my father is never this late. Something is wrong. I can feel it. Something is not right." Amaira continued her pacing, only stopping when she felt the humans hand on her shoulder.

"What would you do Amaira? Go after him? Do you know where he went? It's best if we stay here until he returns." She felt sick to her stomach. She could tell something was not right. Her father was her only living relative and she couldn't just leave him.

"He was going just past Mirkwood. I will go to Mirkwood and see if anyone has seen him there. I have to go after him. You need your...husband and your child needs it's father." Amaira nodded and ran around the small house gathering some supplies that she would need.

She didn't know where she would actually end up finding him, or how long it would take to find him, but she knew she had to try at least. She had to do something. She could not and would not leave her father.

"Will you at least be careful Amaira? Please. If something has happened to your father...I'll need your help with things here." She stopped and looked her over.

She was a very pretty human with hair as dark as the night sky, and eyes as light as the ocean. She was pale, but not sickly, and she was short and small in stature. She had fallen for her father very quickly and he in return. They had married even faster and she became pregnant almost as quick.

"Yes. I will be careful." She gave her a small hug and grabbed her bag of supplies. She stopped just before she left the house, her hands digging around by the wall.

"Where is it?" She smiled when she found the loose floorboard and lifted it up. Her hand reached underneath the floor and she grabbed what she needed.

"They are old. But they will do." She grabbed the old bow and the quiver full of arrow and secured them on her back. She stood and fixed the floorboard and then walked to the exit of their small house.

"I will be back." She opened the door and stepped out, feeling just as anxious and nervous as before. She had never done anything like this; ever. She had barely left the little area they lived in, and now she was going halfway across Middle Earth to find her father.

"Kaane help amin."

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Thranduil stood outside the cell and watched the mortal elf. He was sitting on the cold hard bench looking st the king, his eyes still tired and weary. He hadn't said anything to him or his guards about why he was here or why he was mortal. He had avoided all questions and had even become hostile a handful of times. He said he had to return home. He couldn't stay here.

But Thranduil could not and would not let him leave until he got his answers. He did not care if it took until the very last breath this mortal elf took, he would get his answers.

"Make this easier on yourself and tell me what you are doing here." The elf said nothing. He stared at the king, green eyes looking at him but not through him.

"You would die here in this cell before telling what you are doing here?" Thranduil's patience was wearing thin. He needed answer, wanted answers.

"Then I will enjoy watching you rot." Thranduil left the cells after telling the guards to decrease the amount of food he had got.

He would get his answers. One way or another.

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Treneri- hon: Answer him

Hom awaui: Take him away


	3. Chapter 3

Amaira rode hard and fast the first day, only stopping to let her horse rest, and eat. She would try and get to Mirkwood as soon as possible to find her father, and then they would get out of there and go home.

Amaira dug through her bag that she brought and pulled out a worn map, her eyes gazing over the detailed mountain ridges and rivers laid throughout. She traced the path she was planning on taking to Mirkwood, frowning slightly.

She would have to cross a mountain range and a few rivers to get to Mirkwood. It would be a hard and treacherous path but she had to do it. She had to find her father.

"Silma we will travel all night. I hope you will be okay." Amaira stood and placed her things back in her bag and threw her bag back over her shoulder. She was going to ride as fast as she possibly could.

Her father had a pregnant, human wife at home and she was alone. She had thankfully knew how to take care of herself, but the thought of anyone or anything attacking, made Amaira's skin crawl.

She knew her fathers human wife wouldn't be able to fight against anything immortal, or even half immortal. She would have to be careful.

"Let's ride Silma." She got back on the saddle and spurred her horse into a run. Silma was a good and strong horse, but even she had her limits and Amaira was going to be careful about not pushing them.

"Amin naa Tulien ten' lle atar." (I am coming for you father)

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Amaira rode hard for the next day and a half, and when she finally reached the edge of the Mirkwood forest, she felt relieved. She had finally made the journey from her small little house on the edge of the forest, to the kingdom of Mirkwood.

Tenonly thing standing in her way was the forest. Amaira took a deep breath to calm her rapidly beating heart. This forest was dark and foreboding. The trees were tangled together letting very little light in and the path was broken and twisted.

"Seere, Silma. Peace Silma." Amaira grabbed her bow and an arrow. She wanted to be prepared for anything that would come her way. She didn't know what to expect but she had heard of the orcs and spiders that frequented these woods.

"Seere." She urged Silma to continue on the path, her eyes squinting as the sunlight faded and the dark grew. Soon she would barely be able to see.

"It's okay. Shh." Amaira tried to keep her horse calm as they went further down the dark and twisted trail. Every few feet her horse would startled and rear, almost knocking her off.

"Seere! Silma!" She attempted to calm her horse once more as it rested. She reached for the reins and missed, flying back off the horse. She hit the ground and rolled, her side meeting a large tree root.

"Silma!" Amaira stood and dusted herself off and called out for her horse. Her voice went unanswered and she waited to hear anything. She was met with wary silence and she bit her lip and took one step after another.

She tried to stay on the trail, tried to stay focused and not get lost. Her mind and heart started racing as she went further into Mirkwood forest. The trees looked over her, their branches twisting and creating a blanket of leaves and branches. No sun was peaking through the thick branches, nothing helped her see what time of day it was.

"Lle! Mankoi naa lle sinome? Mani uma lle merna?" Amaira froze in her step as the blade of a sword or dagger touched her back. Slowly she turned her head and met the blue eyes of an elven warrior.

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Thranduil reached the his throne and sat down, keeping his eyes on his son. He was approaching from the gate with an elf in tow. Thranduil was only told that she had been a trespasser on his land. He was told that she had been kicked from her horse and had been caught trying to make her way to the gates.

"What is your purpose here?" The she-elf looked up at him from where she stood and rung her hands in front of her. She was nervous, he could tell that much. Her heart was pounding in her chest and she looked anxious.

"Please...my father. He was supposed to be passing through and on his way back and I haven't heard from him. I just want to find him and leave. That's all I want." Thrandruil looked over the she-elf and saw the similarities between her and his prisoner in his cells.

She was quite a beautiful elf, he would be blind and stupid if he didn't at least admit that. She had long brown hair, like the prisoner and they shared the same green eyes, but hers were bright. They had different shades of green mixed in, darker near the pupil and getting lighter near the edge. She was shorter than most elven women, almost by half a foot.

"Your father. Would you like to see where your father is?" He got off of his throne and walked down the steps, his tunic dragging behind him. The she-elf had her eyes trained on him. She was trying to put up a brave front, but he could see her eyes widening and her fingers twitching. She was afraid of him.

"Let's go see where your father is." He grabbed her arm and drug her behind him. He wasn't listening to her pleas for him to stop or the sounds of her feet hitting a few things on the way.

He didn't stop until he was at her fathers cell. And only then did he let her go. He watched her run and kneel before her fathers cell, her hands reaching in between the bars.

"This is what happens when someone steals from me. Your father tried to make his escape with a satchel of gold. He will stay here until his punishment fits the crime."

"Atar! saesa n'uma! amin will sana ho yamen'! faina ho!" Thranduil crossed his arms over his chest as the elven woman begged to take her fathers place. Would she really give up her freedom to save her thriving father? She hadn't even defended his honour.

"Amaira n'uma! sina naa amin rashwe. Il- lle!" Thranduil watched the scene unfold before his eyes.

"It is not your crime. You did not steal. Your father stays until he his time is up." Thranduil had not expected the she-elf to turn on him, and when she did, he was taken back.

"You would be so heartless to keep him in here for stealing gold?! It is just gold! Did he try and take your life? Or one of your guards lives? Gold is not worth keeping him in here! But if you must keep someone, keep me and let him go! He has a wife and child he must return to! Take me in his place! I have nothing and no one! I will happily serve his sentence instead." Thranduil kept silent. He just stared at this she-elf who was talking to him so abruptly. She didn't know her place, but he would show her.

"Leith- hon. Take hen in hon near." The guard to his left opened the cell and pulled her father out. He pushed him to the ground and grabbed her arm.

Thranduil held up hai hand for him to wait, his eyes wandering the small she-elfs frame. He would give her one chance to back out of this.

"You have once chance to change your mind." The she-elf didn't change her mind.

Instead she hugged her father tightly, her head resting on his shoulder. Her father hugged her in return and then stepped back, his lips meeting her forehead.

"N- brave. Gar- huor. Lothron mín govannon- ad." Thranduil nodded to the guard and he pushed the she-elf in and slammed the cell door.

"I hope you enjoy your stay. You will be here for a long time." Thranduil turned on his heel and walked up the steps leading away from the cell she was in. He could hear her father struggling as the guard drug him away from his daughter.

"Throw him out." Thranduil parted ways from the guard, his thoughts already leaving the she-elf and her stupidity.

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Translations:

Lle! Mankoi naa lle sinome? Mani uma lle merna: You! Who are you? What do you want?

Atar! saesa n'uma! amin will sana ho yamen'! faina ho: father! Please no! I will take his place! Release him!

"Amaira n'uma! sina naa amin rashwe. Il- lle: Amaira no! This my trouble. Not yours!

Lieth- hon. Take hen in hon near: release him. Take her

N-brave. Gar- huor. Lothron mín govannon- ad: Be brave. Have courage. May we meet again

So these translations are just from some translator sites I found through google. It was really the best I could do. Hope you enjoy this new chapter!

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	4. Chapter 4

Amaira sat on the cold, hard bench with her knees pulled up to her chest. She rest her head on her knees and closed her eyes, again but sleep would not come. She couldn't stop thinking of her father and her fathers wife.

She understood why her father had stolen, it was no secret that they were not well off. They had barely enough to eat for the 3 of them, and even a little extra gold would've helped. But why did he have to steal from a king? Why Mirkwood?

Amaira sighed and turned her eyes towards the heavy and thick metal door to her cell. Even the cell doors were beautiful designed with intricate curves resembling wood and branches.

"Elven thief. You deserve to rot." Amaira felt tears prick her eyes again, as yet another guard came by to glare at her and spit at her feet. She was not the one who stole, and still she was bing punished. She was the one that was paying the price.

"I will gladly suffer for my father. He does not deserve this." The guard in front of her cell turned her lip up in a snarl.

"Your father gave up his inmortality. And for what? A human whore?" Amaira stood, her blood boiling.

"She is not a whore! She is a good woman and if my father so chooses to give up his immortality to be with someone he loves then I am happy for them! I would rather die in 100 years and be happy and loved than live forever and be miserable!" She may not like her fathers wife, she had no particular reason why she didn't, but she would defend her honour.

If not for Amaira's belief that there was good in every man, woman and child, then for the reason that her father chose her as his wife. And that must mean something.

"Yes and your father will die and you will be stuck here forever. That must be a pretty notion." Amaira frowned and sunk back to the bench.

Gone was her fire. Gone was her strength. She was no longer wanting to fight because he was right. He was right.

Her father would die. Her fathers wife would die and so would their children while she would continue to live. They would all die and she would remain the same.

"I'm right aren't I, little thief? You will outlive everyone you love." Amaira shot off the bench and slammed her fist against the metal door the cell, causing the elven guard to jump back.

"Stop it! You know you are right! You know you are! Why do you have to stand here and mock me? Why do you have to tell me what I already know. Just leave me to suffer." The guard laughed and walked away from her, and Amaira waited until he was gone, and then she walked back to her bench and sat down.

She curled up and best as she could on the bench and closed her eyes. She could feel her cheeks getting redder as she wiped at her falling tears.

"He's right..."

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Thranduil stood outside of her cell with his arms crossed. He was waiting for her to notice him and she was either blind and stupid or she was being ignorant. Either way, his patience was growing thin and it wouldn't be long before he acted on his impatience.

"What do you want? You already locked me in this cell. You have told me I will spend a long time here. What else do you want? You want my undying allegiance? I will not give it to you. You may be a King, but you do not rule over me and you are not my King." Thranduil took a step closer to her cell and so did the guards accompanying him.

He raised his hand and motioned for them to stop, they would not need to use force. There was nothing she could do in her small cell. No harm could or would come to him.

"You have a sharp tongue for an elf in such a precarious situation. You mouth off to a King? Whether you accept it or not, whether you like it or not, I am your King and I am in control of your life." Her sharp green eyes were on him now, but she did not stand. She continued to sit on the bench, her body angled away from him.

"You are in control of my life and you have decided I will spend s long time in a cell. As a prisoner. Fine. Let me prisoner in peace. That's all I ask." Thranduil motioned with his hand and the cell door was open, drawing her full attention.

"You are a prisoner and you will serve out your fathers sentence. It will not be in a cell. Not anymore. You will be Ina locked room. But first, you will eat." Her eyes narrowed and she gave him an incredulous look, but stood anyway.

He turned and walked away from the cell, knowing that she would have to follow. If she didn't want to or if she tried to resist, his guards would drag her.

"Bela! Sii!" He turned his head, his eyes taking over her tired frame. She had only been there a few days but he guessed she hadn't slept much. Her eyes were tired and her hair was a mess.

"Amin sinta sut van!" Thranduil continued to walk towards the smaller and private dining hall, ignoring the sounds of the she-elves feet shuffling on the floor.

"Kela lye." Thranduil sat as the guards left and reached for a cup of wine. His eyes turned to the prisoner and he motioned for her to sit, whether she wanted to or not was her choice.

"Why are you doing this? Why not keep me in my cell?" he looked at her over his cup and raised an eyebrow. If she wished to go back to her cell she was more than welcome.

"If you would rather be in a cramped cell then by all means I will send you back. But do not call me gracious and compassionate when I offer you a room instead. It was not you who stole from me, and yet here you are serving the sentence of another." Thranduil was not surprised by her answer, but rather but her hesitance of her answer.

"I would do anything for my father. He's my family." Thranduil raised his glass to his lips once more, smirking at her.

"And yet he wouldn't do the same for you. He shouldn't have let you take his place. He should've suffered his punishment. And his will to leave without putting up a fight means he wouldn't do the same for you. I hope you know he rode away from the gates and didn't turn back. He didn't even look back." Thranduil didn't know what type of reaction he was hoping to get out of her; he just wanted one

He found himself starting to like the way she fought back against him. She had quite a sharp tongue and she wasn't shy about firing back at him. Normally, Thranduil wouldn't stand for that disrespect, but she amused him.

"You don't know anything about my family! My father loves me! And if he had his choice we'd both be out of here! You keep your mouth shut about my family! Just because you have no love in your life doesn't mean you have to pick apart mine!"

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Translations:

Bela! Sii: Move! Now!

Amin sinta sut van: I can walk you know

kela lye: Leave us

Sorry about the short chapter! Please review! Thanks for reading!

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	5. Chapter 5

Thranduil was reminded of his wife when he interacted with the she-elf. His wife was vastly different then his prionser, and yet there were a lot alike.

His wife, like the prisoner, would do anything for her family. He saw that same streak of protectiveness; the need to give all to those around them.

He loved his wife from the moment he met her until the moment she died, and even after. He was still mourning the loss of her. She was such a beautiful and lovely woman and he enjoyed every minute he had with her. She was the light he needed.

And then the light was snuffed out. The day she died was the day a part of him died too. He wasn't as open as he once was. He was closed off and his heart was sealed and locked away.

"My lord, there have been more sightings of orcs and spiders in the area. We drove off the spiders and the orcs that have come we killed, but they will not stop." Thranduil looked over the elleth standing in front of him.

Tauriel. The only she-elf that was captain of the guard. Red hair and pretty brown eyes. The woman his son was infatuated with. She stood before him as calm as she could be but her pacing continued as she talked more about the threats.

"Drive them away. Keep them away. Destroy the nests. I do not care how you do it, I just want it down." He stood in front of the desk with a map on it and traced the border of Mirkwood with his finger.

They were growing bolder every day. The orcs were always a problem, but the spiders had never been this close to the gates. Never had they posed this big of a threat.

"And if they spread to other lands? We need to kill them at the source." Thranduil stopped and turned where he stood. His eyes on Tauriel, but his mind elsewhere.

"Let them go to other lands. This land is my concern. That it is all. I do not care where else they may go." He turned back to the map and thought of his prisoner.

He hasn't asked her where she came from yet, or even where where father came from. He hadn't been bothered to, but curiosity was getting the best of him. He would like to know.

"Is that my lord? Is that all you need of me?" He heard the steps of Tauriel leaving and he turned and grabbed her wrist.

"There is one more thing i require of you."

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Amaira woke to a few loud knocks on the door. She startled and sat up, her eyes widening as she took in her surroundings. It took a minute to realize where she was and why she was here.

"Amaira? That's your name, yes?" She stood and slowly the door opened. She was on edge hoping and praying it wouldn't be the king. She got her wish, as it wasn't the king but a pretty redhead.

"Hello..." Amaira stood back as the redhead walked in, followed by a younger and meeker elf.

"This is Caylea. She is going to be your handmaiden. She will help you with whatever you need." Amaira stared at the meek little blonde elf and felt confused and a little on guard. What was the King thinking? Giving her a handmaiden? She was a prisoner and he was treating her like she was someone from this land.

"Start by helping her with a bath and then she will require new dresses. She will need to eat and the King requires her to dine with him tonight. That is not a request. It's a demand." Amaira frowned at the two women and stood aside as the 'handmaiden' came towards her and looked her over.

"She is about the same size as yourself Caylea." She eyes wandered from the pretty blonde to the pretty redhead.

"I'm Tauriel. Captain of the guard. King Thranduil would like you to be properly cared for while you're here." Amaira shuffled her feet as the warrior elf smiled at the pair of them and left as quickly as she came.

"Follow me, miss. We'll get you cleaned up." Amaira was still in mild shock at the news that the king wanted her to be cared for.

She was not expecting much of anything, especially after she had spoken to him the way she did. She expected him to throw her in a cell and let her stay there. She even half expected punishment, but not this.

"Can I ask you why he's doing this? I'm a prisoner." Caylea smiled at Amaira and grabbed her hand, gently dragging her behind.

"The King is a good king. He is gracious and kind and compassionate. He wants to take care of his people and do right by them. As far as kings go, you can't find a better one. He may appear rough and cruel, he may even appear cold hearted some days, but he truly isn't. He wants what's best for his kingdom and his people. And he wants to treat them right." She felt even more confused than ever. She was not from this kingdom and she was not 'his people'. Why did she deserve his kindness?

"But I'm not from here. I'm not one of his people. I'm a prisoner because of a crime." She didn't get an answer from Caylea right away.

She was focused on drawing a bath and warming it, and Amaira was focused on looking around the lavish and beautiful room she was in. The floors had gold trim and the walls were lavish and detailed, a hand painted tree on one wall with branches extending around the room.

"Please, enjoy the bath. I will be back in a little while to help you." Amaira thanked Caylea and when she was gone, she removed her old dress and stepped into the water. She set herself down slowly in the water, feeling the heat sting her cold skin.

She sat there a moment, letting the water warm her up. She leaned back and rest her head against the back of the bath and closed her eyes. She breathed deeply, relaxing completely for the first time since she had come here.

"He is not cold hearted." Amaira opened her eyes and blushed. Caylea was back, with a robe and a dress in one hand, and a small basket in the other.

"He really isn't. It maybe hard to believe..." Amaira knew she was telling the truth. If she wasn't, and if he truly was a mean and cold hearted king, he wouldn't have taken her from her cell. He wouldn't have given her a room with a large bed and allowed her to have a handmaiden. He wouldn't have let her have a warm bath with little freedom.

If he was not a good king, he would've kept her in her cell and let her stay there until she was to be freed.

"I believe it." She watched Caylea leave once more with a smile on her face. Amaira sites until the door had closed, and then she grabbed a small bottle out of the basket and pulled the top off. The smell of honey and vanilla hit her nose and she didn't hesitate in massaging it into her tangled and dirty hair.

'He is a good king.'

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Thranduil sat and waited for her. He was not going to wait much longer, and he oils not start without her. He sat back in his chair, his eyes fixed on the door. She was late, but he still expected her to be here.

"My lord? She's coming." Caylea, a small and meek she-elf, poked her head into the room to tell him over her arrival and then left once more. Thranduil thanked her and waited once more.

It was only a moment after that he spotted the dark haired elf walking in, her feet shuffling and her eyes staring down at her feet. She looked up at him, her green eyes showing her nervousness.

"Amaira, join me." She walked closer to the table and him, and with every step he took, he could hear her heart beating loudly.

"I never thanked you. For giving me a room instead of a cell. And for the opportunity to have a warm bath, and for the help. I am sorry for how I talked to you. You didn't deserve that and it wasn't any of my business anyway." She sat down across the small table from him.

He raised his glass of wine to his lips and motioned for her to do the same. He would be angry at her for what she said. She had said it out of anger and frustration and to be angry at her for feeling, would be ridiculous.

"Eat. You must be hungry." She nodded and drank from her glass of wine and then began eating the food that was set in front of her.

"Thank you. For all of this. I appreciate it." He nodded and sat back in his chair, his eyes never leaving her.

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New chapter! Thanks for reading!

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	6. Chapter 6

Amaira wasn't as on edge as she thought she would be while having dinner with King Thranduil. Instead of being afraid of saying the wrong thing, she was encouraged to speak openly to him. She had appreciated the encouragement, as it had took a large weight off of her shoulders.

"Where are you from?" Amaira set her glass of wine down and licked her lip, the sweet wine lingering on the skin.

"Originally my father and mother came from Rivendell. My mother was a seamstress and my father was s lower member of the guard. But when my mother died, my father couldn't handle it and he took me from Rivendell and we went deep into the forest. After that my father met his new wife, a human, and we made the move from deep in the forest to just outside a small human settlement." Amaira frowned and sat back in her soft chair.

It had been a longtime since she had thought about the death of her mother. It had seemed like so long ago. She hadn't liked to think of it, and she blamed her father for the death of her mother.

"What happened to your mother?" She looked over at King Thranduil. He was casually sitting in his chair, arms draped over the sides and a relaxed smirk on his face. His tunic was the same colour as the one she first saw him in. Silver mixed with gold threads.

"My father and mother were in laketown at the time. They had some business to tend to. My mother didn't want to go, but my father begged her. He begged her to go and keep him company." Amaira sighed and looked at her lap. She hated thinking of it. She hated thinking of her beautiful mother dying while being so young.

"He left to meet someone and she said she would wander around the town. She was halfway to the inn they were staying at when she was attacked. She fought back as best as she could...but it was herself against 4 grown men. They took everything she owned and then they..." Amira bit her lip and closed her eyes tightly. She was going to cry, she could feel it.

"They took adavantage of her. And when they finished, they stabbed her. She must've been so scared. She was too weak to cry for help. When my father found her, she was almost gone." Amaira covered her mouth with her hand.

"I am sorry for your loss. And such a violent one." She jumped when she felt his strong hand on her shoulder.

"I never really forgave him. If he would've just let her stay home she would still be alive. She wouldn't have been attacked and raped and killed." Amaira caught movement out of the corner of her eye and when she looked, Thranduil was kneeling beside her.

"As painful as it is to think about, if it truly was your mothers time to pass, it would've happened anyway. It doesn't make it any easier. I understand what you are going through. I lost my wife violently. I still grieve the loss of her." Amaira furrowed her eyebrows.

"I'm sorry for your loss." There was silence between the pair. Thranduil had placed his hand on her knee and was rubbing his thumb against the soft material of her dress and Amaira swore it felt like his hand was on her bare skin.

"Would you like to see something?" Amaira felt confused when Thranduil stood so grabbed her hand. He pulled her behind him gently and didn't stop until they were outside a set of double doors.

"What is this?" The doors were pushed open and Amaira's eyes wandered the shelves of books filling the room.

"This is a library and those are books." She gave Thranduil a pointed look and rolled her eyes.

"Yes I know it's a library. Why are we here?" Amaira didn't get an answer, instead Thranduil pushed her into the large room gently. He stood by the door and smiled st her.

"This is a place you are allowed to visit. Unguarded. I promise my guards will leave you be if you wish to come here." Amaira looked around the large room, her eyes wandering from the books to the large chairs by the windows, the fireplace along the far wall and the chaise in front of it.

"Thank you! I am looking forward to reading here! Thank you so much!" She turned and smiled at him, her excitement barely contained. She couldn't help it and she knew she may regret it, but the younger elf couldn't stop herself. She wrapped her arms around him and gave him a gentle hug before pulling away and running to one wall of the library. Her fingers traced the spine of the books as she eyes wandered, looking for what she would want to read first.

"You are welcome, Amaira. You may be here serving a punishment, but that doesn't mean I want to treat you as a criminal. I will treat you as a guest." He didn't miss the look she gave him, the carefully guarded look. He knew she didn't want to trust him, but he was being sincere.

"Truly?" Thranduil nodded and received a wide smile from Amaira. She didn't come over me dhug him again, but she did give him a little bow before she climbed up a ladder and reached over for a stack of books.

"Join me for dinner tonight. That's all I ask in return." She paused mid-reach for the books and looked back at him. She had pulled her hair into a bun at the back of her head. Her ears were covered by her hair and only the tips were showing. Thranduil smirked when he saw the tips of her ears turn red, pleasing him. He liked the affect he had on her.

.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

Thranduil watched the she-elf wander around the library, touching the spines of books and grabbing a small pile. She had long payed any attention to him anymore, her eyes and attention focused on the books in front of her.

He smiled and crossed his arms over his chest. He enjoyed watching her wander and bounce from shelf to shelf. He enjoyed the way she would light up when she saw a book that interested her.

She was a beautiful elf. He would admit that. He would also admit that she was slowly getting under his skin. Everything she did seemed to both irritate him and make him feel...alive again. It made him feel less cold.

"My lord?" Thranduil pushed himself away from the walk he was leaning on and left the view of the library. He walked down the hall and towards the throne room, a guard following him.

"I want those nest destroyed. All of them. I want no one and nothing to enter our forest. If anything does, shoot it." Thranduil grabbed the map his guard held and rolled it out on a small table, his eyes scanning the areas surrounding Mirkwood.

"We will destroy the nests my lord but they come back. They do not leave." Thranduil placed his hand on the map and traced a path from Mirkwood to Rivendell.

"Destroy the nests. Kill anything that passes through our borders." He rolled the map up and gave it back to his guard. His guard gave him a nod and then turned on his heel and walked away from Thranduil.

"Why the sudden pressure to clear the forest, father?" Thranduil didn't look at Legolas. He didn't have to. He knew he was behind him and he knew he was giving him a strange look.

"Our prisoner will be released in 2 days. I want the journey for her to be pleasant and safe."

.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

New chapter! Sorry for the wait and the short length.

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